Does Rain In October Mean More Snow In Winter?

Sioux Falls

We've seen a lot of rain so far this October in eastern and southeast KELOLAND. The first 10 days have already catapulted some into the top ten wettest Octobers. This wet weather may be giving clues about the upcoming winter.

I looked back at the record books to get an idea of how much snow fell after we got 5 inches of rain or more here in Sioux Falls during October. Here's what I found.

Including this year, Sioux Falls has received more than 5 inches of rain in October eight times. Of those previous years, the snowfall for the following months ranged anywhere from nearly 25 inches in 1973 to more than 70 inches in 1982. The average of those years is 46 inches, about 4 inches above the climate average.

In the meantime, we're not talking snow, but more rain later this week and for the weekend. But I am working on another snowfall prediction that will be out in November.